Banana Pecan Cupcakes

Banana bread is good--a great use for overripe fruit. Add toasted pecans and it gets more interesting. Turn it into cupcakes and top with chocolate sour cream frosting and you have a delicious dessert, perfect for sharing.

This recipe is another winner from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. As a member of the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club we are baking our way through this fun cookbook. Banana Pecan Cupcakes was a bonus pick for September. These cupcakes were lighter than banana bread and the chocolate frosting turned them into wonderful. I give them 5 stars! Check the MSCC blogroll and see what others thought of this recipe.

My Favorite Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

Melt 1/4 cup butter and 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate. Cool 5 minutes, add 1/2 cup sour cream. Beat in 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar. This is the best! I like Ghiradelli choocolate, I just tried Tillamook Premium sour cream and I think I have another favorite!

Zucchini Spice Cupcakes

     I am happy to be a member of an online baking group. We will bake our way through the Martha Stewart Cupcake book. This months recipe was a winner. It uses up the ever prolific zucchini that is abundant this time of the year. It also gave me a chance to try out my new KitchenAide Food Processor. My old one died making Blueberry Bars--I just wore the poor thing out!

     It did a beautiful job of shredding the zucchini! This recipe was easy to make; whisk dry ingredients, including cinnamon, cloves and fresh nutmeg. Wet ingredients include eggs, oil and vanilla; add lots of brown sugar, a bit of lemon zest, the shredded zuchinni and some toasted walnuts. Gently stir and enjoy the spicy scent as these cupcakes bake.

     I frosted them with a simple cream cheese frosting! They are delicious for breakfast--I know! Check out all the bakers to see their creations.

     As I make a recipe in a new cookbook I like to write things in the margins--things I would do different etc. I also give recipes a star rating. This is a full 5 stars (5 is the best), I will certainly make them again. I would make just 1/2 recipe of frosting. This recipe makes 18 regular cupcakes and 24 minis.

A Great Adventure and Smoked Salmon Dip

My sweet husband spent a wonderful week in Alaska on a fishing adventure with my brothers. He enjoyed every aspect of the trip and arrived home with many fish stories as well as a cooler of fresh fish. Nothing can compare to Fresh Alaskan Seafood. And no seafood feast is complete without Smoked Salmon Dip. This recipe has evolved over the years and really is delicious.

Smoked Salmon Dip

Mix together:

8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 green onion, minced
3/4 teaspoon Pampered Chef Dill Seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
pinch of white pepper
stir in flaked Smoked Salmon to taste. Serve with crackers.

Holiday Snack Mix

My brother Craig is a genius when it comes to computers, he is the real deal. He is always able to solve my techno dramas. He won't take payment, which is good because I'm sure I couldn't afford him! Craig does have a fondness for salty, crunchy Chex Party Mix. Yes, you can buy it in a bag but this is a 'cooking blog' and the kind in a bag never has enough of the good stuff--cashews, almonds, peanuts etc.

I modified a recipe from the back of a generic wheat square cereal box. I like oven baked snack mix, I have melted too many bowls trying the microwave version (unattended butter in the micro can get really hot)!

This is a perfect snack for movie night, game night or any holiday gathering. Serve with a bottle of water!

Holiday Snack Mix

1/4 cup melted butter

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sugar

7 cups any combo of Wheat, Corn or Rice Square cereal

1 cup mixed nuts

2 cups Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Mix-Up Adventures (pretzel and cheese goldfish)
Printable Recipe

Mix melted butter and seasonings in an open roasting pan. Gradually stir in cereal, nuts and fish. Mix well. Bake 250 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towel to cool.

Crispy Party Bars!

What do you get when you combine peanut butter, rice krispies, pretzels and chocolate?? A salty, sweet party bar that is quick, colorful and delicious. I made this crowd pleaser for a family reunion, everyone that tasted it requested the recipe. It originates from the Taste of Home Bake Sale magazine (a fun cookbook).

Crispy Party Bars

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 cups pretzels

5 cups crisp rice cereal

1 cup plain M&M's

In a large microwave safe bowl combine sugar and corn syrup. Microwave on high for at least 2 minutes (my corn syrup was cold it took 4 minutes) or until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanut butter until blended. Add pretzels, cereal and M&M's--stir gently. Press into a buttered 9x13 pan. Cut into small bars--be prepared to share recipe!

Has it really been 1 year??

One year ago today Elder Harris entered the MTC in preparation to serve in the Dallas Texas Mission. He has had a great year--full of teaching, serving and sharing a message of hope. Elder Harris works hard and loves the work. He is looking forward to another great year in Texas.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

It is berry season and I have found the perfect recipe for that big container of blueberries that found its way into your shopping cart at Costco. This delicious bar is perfect for breakfast (hey, it's full of fruit), snack time or heated gently and served with a bit of vanilla ice cream. It also freezes well, you really can't go wrong with it!

It originates from Smitten Kitchen, an awesome food blog. Check out my daughter Amber's blog, she added a layer of cream cheese--how good does that sound!
Blueberry Crumb Bars

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour
1 cup cold butter
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Mix 1 cup sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and flour in food processor, add cold butter and egg. Pulse till crumbly.

Pat half of the dough in a greased 9x13 pan.

In a bowl stir together the ½ cup sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake 375 for about 45 minutes till top is slightly brown. Cool completely and cut into bars. Refrigerate.
Linked to Every Day Sisters Sharing Sunday

Pasta Chicken Cashew Salad

It is always a challenge to feed a large group. Cost, amounts, quality and food safety all need to be considered. Although I love to create a colorful buffet table sometimes it is nice to have a beautifully plated meal delivered to your table.

Our menu includes a fruity pasta chicken salad served on a bed of baby greens, an orange roll and a colorful fruit kabob. The salad comes from my good friends Sandy and Mary Ann. These two are great cooks so I know the recipe is a winner.

We will be able to quickly serve our 90 guests a fun summer meal. I think it will be a hit!

Pasta Chicken Cashew Salad

5 cups cooked chicken breast, diced

1 pound red or black seedless grapes, halved

2 Fuji apples, diced

1/2 bunch celery, diced

1 bunch green onions, sliced

12 ounces tiny shell macaroni, cooked

1 can cashews

10 ounces baby salad greens

Dressing

1 pint Lighthouse Coleslaw Dressing

2 cups mayonnaise

Combine dressing ingredients and mix with salad just before serving. Serve on a bed of greens.

This salad makes about 20 servings (1 cup each)
Linked to: Everyday Sisters Sharing Sundays

 

Broccoli Salad

This recipe originated from one of my favorite cookbooks entitled, "Eat, Drink and Be Chinaberry". This cookbook (now out of print) was published as favorite recipes from family and friends of Chinaberry. Chinaberry is a book service that I highly recommend. If a recipe comes from the Chinaberry cookbook it is sure to be delish!

This yummy Broccoli Salad is labeled as 'a hassle but worth it'. The hassle part comes from chopping up broccoli in nice little bite sizes and the dressing is cooked. It only takes a few minutes but it is so worth it!

The dressing is creamy, slightly sweet and flavorful. The broccoli is very nutritious, the dried cherries add a tartness, and the bacon and pine nuts give plenty of crunch! What a fun salad!

Broccoli Salad
4 cups broccoli buds and trimmed stems
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
6-8 slices of crisp chopped bacon
½ cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
½ cup toasted pine nuts
Combine ingredients and stir gently. Add dressing 15 minutes before serving.
Dressing:
1 egg
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
½ cup mayonnaise
In a small bowl whisk together egg, sugar, dry mustard and cornstarch. Set aside. In a saucepan bring to boil vinegar, water and salt. Whisk egg mixture in slowly, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir for about 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and add butter and mayo. Cover and chill.

Cheesecake Bites

My love for cheesecake began about 35 years ago. Greg and I met during the 'disaster' movie era (think Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, Towering Inferno, Airport). Each Friday we would enjoy the current disaster, go out to dinner and finish the evening at my house chatting with my little brothers, parents and watching TV.

One night Greg produced a 'Reams' sack with a Jello Cheesecake mix. Simple; add butter to the package of cracker crumbs, press into a pie pan. Add milk to the dry 'cheesecake mix', beat for 2 minutes, pour the thick creamy liquid into the cracker crust and in 30 minutes you had 'cheesecake', or something close to it. It was a hit, we made cheesecake often during our dating days.

My taste for cheesecake is now a bit more refined, but hey, it had to start somewhere!

Amber surprised me on Mother's Day with this fun 'mini' cheesecake pan. This is the recipe on the back of the box and it is delish. The lemon flavor is tangy, the cheesecake is rich. It is a bite of wonderful. Thanks Amber and Tadd.

Cheesecake Bites
Crust:
1 cup cookie or cracker crumbs
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons melted butter
Mix together and divide between 12 mini cheesecake cups, press evenly into the bottom of each cup. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, cool.
Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup sugar
Pinch salt
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest from 1 lemon
Beat cream cheese for 2 minutes, add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add cream, lemon juice and zest, beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add sugar and salt, beat about 2 minutes. Pour batter into cups. Bake at 300 for about 20 minutes or until set. Cool at least 2 hours before unmolding. Serve with fresh berries.
Linked to: A Well Seasoned Life

In Memory

Every Memorial Day for years we would load all six children in our rusty suburban and go 'grave hopping'. We would begin our trek in Mapleton and finish in Lehi, we would make five or six stops and visit the graves of loved ones.

We would talk of Grandma's Grandma, Grammy's father and Grandma Great. We tried to bring the memory of loved ones alive as we related stories. We walked thru cemeteries, admired beautiful flowers and wondered about lives since past.

This year as we decorated graves I decided I would jot down a memory of my father, maybe I'll even write a childhood memory of my own. Someday I will be 'some one's ancestor' and they just might wonder about me!! Take a moment today, share a memory with your children of a loved one past--better yet write it down!

Cinnamon Rolls

I love my morning glance at Google Reader, so many fun blogs--so many new recipes! I was assigned to bring 'hard rolls' to a lunch bunch. Now hard rolls are pretty boring but 'hot rolls' are another story. I came across a yummy looking recipe on My Kitchen Cafe. These delicious looking Buttermilk Cloverleaf Rolls were just what I was after. I pulled them out of the oven and served them piping hot, I took home an empty basket and called it a winner! This is a fun dough because it keeps in the refrigerator for about a week. Today I made cinnamon rolls with my 'refrigerator dough'. I used Pampered Chefs Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkle for the filling and topped them with my Mom's Caramel Icing. These were to die for!

Mom's Caramel Icing

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

3Tablespoons milk

Bring to a boil and cook for a minute. Cool for 5 minutes and add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Quickly frost warm rolls. If frosting gets too thick add a little hot water. This frosting is delicious on Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin Cookies or muffins.

Greek Salad--update

We spent Mothers Day in Chicago with my sweet daughter Amber and her family. We haven't seen them for almost a year so baby Henry was walking, Harrison is madly riding a two-wheeler (no training wheels for this big boy) and Maya is getting ready for kindergarten! We had a wonderful visit full of walks, talks, stories, parks and of course food.

Amber is an amazing cook, it was like dining at a fine restaurant each meal. One evening Amber quickly made a delicious Greek Salad, it was so fresh tasting I had to recreate it for dinner tonight. Greek Salads are full of strong flavors, I like the Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and Feta cheese in small pieces. The Greek Dressing turned out to be a winner, so I wrote it down! My parsley plant is going crazy, I love to find recipes that use this tasty herb. This salad is delicious--it will be on the menu often this summer! Enjoy..

Greek Salad
Romaine lettuce, torn
English cucumber, sliced
Red pepper, sliced
Kalamata olives, sliced
Marinated Artichoke hearts, drained and diced
Grilled chicken breast
Feta cheese crumbles
Grape tomatoes

Toasted Pine nuts
Croutons, I bought a baguette intending to make croutons, but it was fresh and tasted delicious 'dipped' in the Greek dressing!

Greek Salad Dressing
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Juice from ½ lemon
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon sugar
Pinch dried oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
½ cup olive oil

I made this salad again and tried a creamy dressing, toasted pine nuts and Rotisserie chicken chunks. Another hit! It was delish.

Creamy Greek Dressing

3/4 cup mayo

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon water

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon oregano

Whisk together.

I came home to a big box on my doorstep--full of Fiesta ware! What a wonderful Mothers Day, my kids are the best! I am a lucky Mother.

Amazing Chocolate Toffee Sugar Cookies

I was checking my Google Reader recently and saw a cookie that demanded a second look. It was on one of my favorite Blogs, Our Best Bites. It was simple--a sugar cookie rolled thin, cooked 'well done', dipped in chocolate, sprinkled with Skor bits and drizzled with white chocolate. Put it all together and it was a bite of heaven!

I happened to share one with a old friend, she gave a bite to a friend who called me and wanted to know if I would make 125 for a party she was having! That is how good they are. Now, they are slightly labor intensive but so pretty and delicious. The sugar cookie recipe on Our Best Bites is excellent, I 'collect' sugar cookie recipes and this is one of the best. Use pure almond extract, real butter, the best chocolate available and you will have one great cookie!

Buttermilk Waffles and Coconut Syrup

Rainy Saturdays are great for brunch. I'm always on the lookout for new recipes for waffles, pancakes, french toast etc. I love breakfast food but not in the early morning! So I often cook breakfast for dinner; a few favorites include omelets, breakfast burritos, quiche and any kind of muffin or coffee cake.

I think after a little blog surfing I have found a few new favorites. The Buttermilk Waffles come from My Kitchen Cafe and the delicious Coconut Syrup comes from The Sisters Cafe. These are great blogs, check them out. In the meantime try these delicious favorites.

Classic Buttermilk Waffles

(From King Arthur Flour Baking Companion)

Beat together:

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

2 teaspoons vanilla

Whisk:

1 3/4 cup flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Combine wet and dry ingredients just till smooth.


Coconut Buttermilk Syrup

3/4 cup buttermilk

7 Tablespoons butter

1 cup sugar

Cook until sugar is dissolved and boil 1 minute, stir in:

1 teaspoon coconut flavoring

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Delicious on waffles, pancakes, french toast or just by the spoonful!!